Page 30 - RSDG Year of 2022 CREST

28 EAGLE AND CARBINE
excellent example of the good work provided by the troop to the regiment can be seen in our delivery of driver training. Cpl Dryburgh managed to organise, resource and delivered the first ever Scotland-based UST course, qualifying 18 UST operators from across the brigade. Cpl Dominy found himself in the dunes of north Devon assisting with the off-road driver training in a complex driver training area, ensuring that the task group was well equipped to drive both day and night in the sand. Our front desk is staffed by Cpl Dryburgh and supported by LCpl Crichton ‘Knowlsey’, whose proactive attitude and excellent approach has attracted praise from across the station. 51 Brigade staff have commented on the troop as achieving ‘best practice’ in many areas.
2022 has seen the regiment go through an intense training cycle in preparation for two high profile six-month deployments. MT has supported all these events with both workforce and vehicle management. B Squadrons deployment on the MRX saw us lose Cpl Batiuluna to run the guard force for the Royal Irish task group, whilst LCpl Nailatica and Tpr Smyth also found themselves in STANTA supporting the Real Life Support team driving a number of different vehicles: their efforts were greatly appreciated, contributing to a really successful pre-deployment exercise.
The main event for the SCOTS DG TG in the summer of 2022 was the regiment’s deployment on Exercise WESSEX EAGLE 2 to Salisbury Plain then onwards to Mounted Ranges in Castlemartin. This saw most of the troop deployed with the regiment. We left a small team back in Leuchars to support the station.
With the troop now split into those deploying and those who were remaining behind in ROG the Op NEWCOMBE ROTO 5 preparations were now in full swing. Mandatory pre-deployment briefs for all were combined with vehicle operator courses to ensure all personnel would meet the theatre requirements. The newest member of the team, Tpr Sutherland, got up to speed with his Platform Weapons Operator course ready to provide robust top cover for the MTO when out on the ground. Most of A1 attended the Horn (akin to a handheld metal detector) user course for a week in Bassingbourn and the three-day Team Medic course back in Leuchars. Not feeling busy enough, there was time for additional qualifications to be had in the form a Static Camera Surveillance course for LCpl Crichton. All were required to submit fingerprints as part of the ISOPREP paperwork for Sgt Smith, some members of the troop were more experienced with this than others and looked uncomfortable when the RMPs arrived with their ink and paper.
Theatre Entry Standards courses were run inhouse for all drivers by Cpl Batiuluna (Big Bati) and LCpl Batiuluna (Wee Bati), who spent time between the MRX and pre-deployment leave teaching A1 and SQMS personnel the finer points of operating an armoured 9-tonne SV both on and off road utilising. Sgt McLelland, whilst still working in the Training Wing and conducting his pre-deployment training was charged with taking every member of the task group through the RODET in anticipation of any TG vehicles ending up upside down in the desert.
As A1 retired for some well-earned leave before their flights, the remainder of MT conducted extensive post- exercise maintenance on the returning fleet and began receiving the regiment’s remaining SVs. At the same time the MTWO continued his complex planning to ensure the TG complete would arrive at Brize Norton in time for their flights out.
A1 is a very small team of six, five soldiers and one officer, and fleet size of five 9-tonne SVs, two UST, 1 Coyote and our Africa spec white fleet. With attachments the actual size of A1 is 43 soldiers, 13 officers and 33 various vehicles providing a range of different specialist roles. The workforce was reduced after the announcement of the withdrawal from Mali, but the number of vehicles remained the same. The first 2 months has seen A1 deploy four times in support of the task group conducting familiari- sation patrols and transporting ammunition out to the demolition area for destruction. The highlight was the last patrol which was five days on patrol. The longest move was 25km over some pretty rough terrain which started well but the heat and degradation of the vehicles started to take its toll. We had been out for three days at this point and covered about 50km. The day started well but ended up with one Foxhound on tow, one Mastiff on tow and an SVR struggling with lack of power.
With some of MT now deployed forward those remaining behind could pause and look forward to some Christmas celebrations will a sigh of relief that this hectic year was now ending. LCpl Stewart volunteered to organise the troop night out which was a huge amount of fun with some sore heads present the next day. After the heads had cleared, we finalised our pre leave checks and shut the hanger doors on a successful 2022.
Many thanks to all those who have served in the department, and I am sure the 2023 will bring around another set of complex challenges.